Storying Perceptions of Climate Change in Wellington Shire

Storying Perceptions of Climate Change in Wellington Shire Nikhil Chintada Theodore Lockman Alexander Lopes Jacob Schran An Interactive Qualifying Project submitted to the faculty of Worcester Polytechnic Institute in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Bachelor of Science. Page 1 Advisors WPI Sponsor GCCN Sponsors Professor Edward Clancy Professor Ingrid Shockey John Lawrence Professor Kristin Wobbe Peter Young Abstract With the help of the Gippsland Climate Change Network, our team interviewed farmers in Wellington Shire, Australia to collect their perceptions of climate change. We compiled 12 video interviews of the farmers, and one long-form video to add to the global collection of climate stories. Most of these farmers were skeptical of man-made climate change, but were still responsive to climate variations, with many using renew- able energy and regenerative farming practices. Farmers living within the local irrigation district were mostly optimistic regarding the sustainability of their future. However, those living outside the irrigation district were generally much less confident about the long-term viability of their farms and community. This report represents the work of WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review. The Climate Stories Gippsland Team (Photo Taken by Kate Mirams) Page 2 In Australia, concerns are rising over the people to experience something negative” (Le- there is less focus on how the public perceives effects of climate change. Analysis of studies con- viston, Greenhill, & Walker, 2015). This pattern climate change (Yale Climate Connections, 2018). ducted in recent years shows that “Australians are of “optimism bias” shows how the populace can The Climate Stories Project is an organization increasingly concerned about droughts and floods, become complacent. While knowing the world is working to gather perceptions of individuals extinctions and water shortages associated with warming, people believe that someone will fix the around the globe in relation to climate change climate change, and most people think all levels problem for them, or that they individually will (Climate Stories Project, n.d.). Through the facil- of government aren’t doing enough to combat remain unaffected. This idea has created a situa- itation of Professor Ingrid Shockey at Worcester the effects of global warming, according to new tion where there are rising concerns by the general Polytechnic Institute (WPI) teams of students have research.” (Murphy, 2019). While there are rising populace, and yet little action is seemingly taken conducted studies around the globe to gather such concerns, a survey conducted by the Common- by federal and state governments (Merzian, et al., viewpoints. In India, students found that the farm- wealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organ- 2019). ing intensive area of Himachal Pradesh is vulnera- isation (CSIRO) “showed a pattern of ‘optimism While the scientific effects of climate ble to climate change. Farmers noted that seasons bias’ - the belief that one is less likely than other change are often considered in public discourse, were shifting in intensity and duration (Padir & Bergeron, 2018). In Japan, a student team interviewed businessmen, professors, and individuals of various other occupations to understand what the Japanese think of living with climate change (Engel et al., 2019). To continue these efforts, our project team was stationed in Melbourne to collect the personal stories and perceptions of climate change from the farmers of Wellington Shire in the Gippsland region. As seen in Figure 1 the Gippsland region is a part of the state of Victoria in Australia. Our project was co-sponsored by the Gippsland Climate Change Network (GCCN) which seeks to help educate, inform, consult, and facilitate Gippslanders to take measurable action on climate change, while also serving as an activist group for Gippsland on matters regarding climate change. Figure 1. Map of Gippsland (gold) relative to Victoria, Australia (navy blue) Page 1 With the assistance of the GCCN, Understanding and Presenting the Gippsland semi-structured video interviews were conducted at the homes of residents in Wellington Shire, Climate Perspective Victoria (Figure 2). These interviews were com- level has been rising by 1.7 mm per year, with piled into 12, 2-7 minute videos, as well as one long The Effects of Climate that rate increasing to 3.1 mm per year since form (25 minute) video that presented the varying Change 1993 (Sweet, et al., 2017). This sea level rise has perceptions of climate change in the region. These increased both flooding as well as the severity interviews were presented to report the stories and The warming of the climate will have and frequency of storms. An excess of green- perceptions of how climate change has affected the dire consequences for many of the Earth’s spe- house gasses has also led to the acidification of community. cies. Observations by the U.S. National Oceanic water around the world, in both the seas and Australia is at a tipping point in addressing and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) through rain. Seawater acidification is particu- climate change and its effects. In order to address have found that as temperatures rise all over the larly damaging to coral reefs, as the reduction these concerns, Australians must reach a common globe, the northern and southern poles (com- in pH levels has led to coral “bleaching.” This ground to move forward. With these ethnographic prised almost entirely of ice) have begun to melt. process can kill coral reefs which are a vital part videos, the GCCN can create a dialogue between NOAA research also indicates that land-based of the ocean ecosystem (Coral Bleaching on residents and the local, state, and federal gov- ice such as glaciers and mountain ice caps are the Reef, 2018). Areas such as Australia’s Great ernment to take action on climate change. These melting. The melting of the ice caps and warm- Barrier Reef have and continue to be affected by videos will also add to the global context created by ing of the oceans has led to global sea level rise. this phenomenon. Since the 19th century the prior studies in the Climate Stories Project. Since the beginning of the 20th century the sea Earth’s average surface temperature has risen 1.1 degrees Celsius (2 degrees Fahr- enheit), and continues to increase. More alarmingly, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Agency (NASA) reports that the bulk of the temperature increase has happened over the last four decades, with five of the hottest years on record occurring since 2010 (GISTEMP Team, 2020). Figure 2. View of Wellington Shire, Victoria Page 2 Australia Gippsland Studies conducted by scientists in Australia have created comprehensive mod- These changes are represented in els and predictions for how climate change Figure 4, which was created by the Victori- has and will affect the country in the coming an state government to represent changes to decades. As seen in Figure 3, data collected the Gippsland region. On average, rainfall in by the CSIRO over the last few decades shows the Gippsland region has declined since the an increase in the average temperature in 1950s, while temperatures have increased Australia. The grey shaded segment in the left since the 1960s (The State of Victoria, 2015). portion of each plot demonstrates the histor- These effects will have a profound impact on ical data, while the colored shaded regions the quality of life and economy of Gippsland. work off three distinct prediction models. How these changes affect the local commu- Yellow represents low emission predictions, nity will influence the perceptions of climate blue represents medium and purple (a typi- change in Gippsland. cal climate model) represents high emission predictions (Commonwealth Scientific and Perceptions of Industrial Research Organization [CSIRO], Climate Change n.d.). All of these predictions indicate a Families and farmers experience agricultural number of common changes. Heat waves will problems and issues due to severe changes in become more frequent and intense. As sea climate with studies demonstrating patterns levels rise and the water’s temperature in- of climate change worsening farmers’ worries creases, storms will become more severe, and about the weather (Ellis, 2017). In western flooding will escalate (CSIRO, n.d.). Bushfires Australia, a brief report specifically inter- will increase in intensity and frequency as viewed the youth Australian community and hot, dry and windy conditions increase over focused on capturing their perceptions and time (The State of Victoria, 2015). Mean- opinions on climate change. One youth inter- while, rainfall is projected to decrease, and viewee explained: “I’m quite worried about the duration of droughts will rise, damaging my future being destroyed due to climate the agricultural industry to the south of the change. Sometimes, I couldn’t sleep - keep Figure 3. CSIRO projections of temperature change continent both for the growth of crops and thinking of it.” (Chiew & Ling, n.d., p. 14). (CSIRO, n.d.) livestock (CSIRO, n.d.). Page 3 on major corporations and governmental decisions (Chiew and Ling, n.d.). Gippsland’s Perceptions The Sustainability Victoria survey data collected from the Gippsland region (displayed in Figure 5) specifically showed that 49% of those interviewed believed that climate change was both man-made and natural. Nearly a third of the inter- viewees were unconcerned about climate change, while 42% were either “very concerned” or “quite concerned” about climate change. This divide in perspec- tives shifted in responses about action on climate change. Around 39% felt strongly Figure 4. Gippsland’s key climate risks (The State of Victoria, 2015) that urgent action was needed on climate change with another 32% agreeing that action on climate change was needed In 2017, the Victoria State government or decline in agriculture, and water shortages and (Sustainability Victoria, 2017).

Load more